Spigot construction



July 18, 1967 L. A. FATTORI 3,331,580

SPIGOT CONSTRUCTION Filed 001;. 25, 1965 W //a A54 ,2

1 N VEN TOR.

1422420 A. 577mm B Y United States Patent 3,331,580 SPIGOT CONSTRUCTION Lazzaro A. Fattori, 84 Rose Ave., Woodcliff Lake, NJ. 07680 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,957 7 Claims. (Cl. 251-144) This invention relates to spigots or taps and more particularly is directed to finger pressure actuated valves for household use in dispensing or drawing off liquid from the bottom of a container.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an improved finger acuated dispensing valve construction, which shall comprise relatively few and simple parts that may be manufactured from plastic material in quantity production by injection molding methods and be easy to assemble and incorporate at low cost as a tap in a disposable container of the type comprising a cardboard exterior supporting structure and a relatively thin wall plastic liquid proof liner, which low cost and eficiency of the valve construction shall materially contribute to the commercial practicability of such disposable containers, which construction shall be approved for use in dispensing food products, such as milk, and shall incorporate a short length of gum rubber hose as a resilient member for retaining the valve parts in closed position and yielding by lengthwise compression to finger pressure exerted to open the valve and which construction shall be rugged and toolproof in operation.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a finger pressure actuated spigot or tap constructed to embody the invention shown mounted on a liquidproof plastic bag or liner of a disposable container.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the spigot shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3--3 in FIG. 1 showing interior construction,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the spigot shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 removed from the spout of the bag, the outer walls being in section, the resilient gum rubber tube being shown compressed with valve stem depressed in open position, and

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the spigot shown in FIG. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, generally denotes a bag or liner made of plastic sheet material and having a spout 11 of a relatively soft plastic, such as, polyethylene, vinyl or the like, which may be suitably bonded or heat sealed along the flange 11a to the material of bag 10. A spigot 12, mounted on spout 11 and forming a valve closure therefor, is seen to comprise an inverted L-shaped casing 13, a spindle-plate 14, a valve member and a length of rubber tubing 16.

Casing 13 may be molded of a relatively rigid plastic, such as polystyrene, linear polyethylene or the like, and is formed as a downspout having a lower outlet or delivery end 13a. The upper end of casing 13 is formed with a valve seat opening 13b in axial alignment with a rear- Wardly extending tubular flange 13c and a front opening 13d of smaller diameter than opening 13b. Tubular flange 130 is sized to telescope into spout 11 and may be formed with suitable means for snap-locking therewith, here shown as a groove 13e formed at the base of tubular flange 13c adjacent a flange 13h serving as an abutment stop for th rim of spout 11, the latter being formed with an undercut shoulder 11b for engaging groove 136- The Wall of tubular flange may be thickened at its base to provide for groove 132 and may have a beveled surface 13] to facilitate the snap-locking engagement- Spindle-plate 14, which is formed of a relatively rigid plastic material similar to casing 13, is suitably mounted in tubular flange 13c as by seating in undercut 13g for disposing integrally formed spindle 14a in axial alignment with tubular flange 13c and valve seat opening 13b. Spindle-plate 14 is suitably perforated with openings 1412 serving as inlets to the valve chamber of spigot 12.

Valve member 15, which may be molded of a relatively soft or pliable plastic such as polyethylene, is formed as a tubular structure having a bore or hollow into which spindle 14a extends supporting valve member 15 in position for telescoping movement thereon. The inner end of valve member 15 terminates in a flared or conical shaped valve 150 located to engage the rearward, that is outward, edge of valve seat opening 13b. The opposite end of valve member 15 extends through front opening 13d and has a closed end forming a finger pressure receiving button 15b. To facilitate movement of valve member 15 in front opening 13d and to prevent leakage therethrough when valve 15a is open, the rim of opening 13d may he thickened and integrally formed with a pair of wiper rings 13 Releasable means for retaining valve 15a in closed position in valve seat opening 13b and button 15b in fully extended position is interposed on spindle 14a between spindle-plate 14 and valve member 15 is herein shown as a length of tubing 16 which may be made of gum rubber hose or other like material approved for use with food products. Whereas a compression spring may be used as such releasable retaining means made of a non-corrosive material, to facilitate assembly and meet cost requirements for a disposable spigot the gum rubber tubing has been found to render satisfactory results.

Gripping means for facilitating the exertion of finger pressure on button 1515 may 'be incorporated in casing 13 as front flange 131 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The practical utility and operation of spigot 12 will now be apparent. Assembly is readily accomplished with a mlnimum of labor from the three molded parts, namely, pasing 13, spindle-plate 14 and valve member 15 and tubmg 16 precut to required lengths. Holding casing 13 with tubular flange 13c facing upward, valve member 15 is dropped into position to rest on valve seat opening 13b. Tubing 16 is then placed on spindle 14a and the latter inserted into bore 150. Pressure is then applied to force spindle-plate 14 into undercut 13g to complete the assembly of spigot 12 ready for mounting on spout 11. In use, the index and middle fingers are placed on opposite sides of casing 13 between flanges 1311 and 113i so that inward pressure may be exerted by the thumb on button 15b with the fingers engaging flange 131'.

As is clear from FIG. 3, valve 15ais retained in closed positionin valve seat opening 1315 by tubing 16. The liquid to be dispensed, passing through openings 14b, fills the chamber between spindle-plate 14 and valve 15a and exerts additional pressure on the rear of valve 15a aiding tubing 16. Finger pressure on button 15b compresses tubmg 16, as shown in FIG. 4, unseating valve 15a, permitting liquid to pass into the downspout of casing 13 as indicated by the arrows. Wiper rings 13 are sufficiently snug around valve member 15 to prevent liquid from leaking therebetween. Since this liquid is flowing and not under sustained pressure, the fit of wiper rings 13j need not prevent the easy movement of valve 15.

The improved spigot construction herein disclosed is seen to achieve the several objects of the invention and to be well adapted to meet conditions of practical use. As various ossible embodiments might be made in the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the disclosed construction, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spigot construction comprising a casing having an open downspout lower end and aligned openings formed in a front and rear wall, a valve member extending through said openings having an axial bore closed at a front end to form a button projecting from said front wall opening, said valve member being flared at the opposite end as a valve for seating in said rear wall opening, a tubular flange extending from said rear wall enclosing said valve, a perforated spindle-plate mounted in said tubular flange having an axially disposed spindle extending as a support into said valve member axial bore, and a resilient compressible member carried on said spindle releasably retaining said valve member in closed position with said valve against said rear wall opening and said button fully outwardly extended.

2. The spigot construction defined in claim 1 in which said casing and spindle plate are molded of a relatively rigid plastic and said valve member is molded of a soft plastic material.

3. The spigot construction defined in claim 1 in which said resilient compressible member is a length of rubber hose.

4. The spigot construction defined in claim 1 in which said spindle-plate mounting is a press-fit into an undercut formed in said tubular flange, said mounting serving as the sole means for retaining said compressible member and valve member in assembly in said casing.

5. The spigot construction defined in claim 1 in combination with a spout of a container, a rim edge of said spout having an undercut shoulder, said tubular flange being sized to telescope into said spout and having an exterior circular groove for engaging with said shoulder to effect a snap-locking of said spout and tubular flange.

6. The spigot construction defined in claim 1 in which a rim of said front wall opening is thickened and for-med \vith a plurality of wiper rings engaging said valve mem- 7. A spigot construction comprising a casing molded of a relatively rigid plastic having an open downspout lower end and aligned openings formed in a front and rear wall, a valve member molded of a relatively soft plastic extending through said openings having an axial bore closed at a front end to form a button projecting from said front wall opening, said valve member being flared at the opposite end as a valve for seating in said rear wall opening, an integrally for-med tubular flange extending from said rear wall enclosing said valve, a perforated spindle-plate molded of said relatively rigid plastic mounted in said tubular flange and having an axially disposed spindle extending as a support into said valve member axial bore, and a length of rubber hose mounted on said spindle interposed between said spindle-plate and valve member releasably retaining the'latter against said rear wall openmg.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 459,728 9/1891 Werner 251322 787,591 4/1905 Sonnenfeld 251-320 X 2,713,988 7/ 1955 Kitterman 25 l-322 M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

A. ROSENTHAL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPIGOT CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A CASING HAVING AN OPEN DOWNSPOUT LOWER END AND ALIGNED OPENINGS FORMED IN A FRONT AND REAR WALL, A VALVE MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS HAVING AN AXIAL BORE CLOSED AT A FRONT END TO FORM A BUTTON PROJECTING FROM SAID FRONT WALL OPENING, SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING FLARED AT THE OPPOSITE END AS A VALVE FOR SEATING IN SAID REAR WALL OPENING, A TUBULAR FLANGE EXTENDING FROM SAID REAR WALL ENCLOSING SAID VALVE, A PERFORATED SPINDLE-PLATE MOUNTED IN SAID TUBULAR FLANGE HAVING AN AXIALLY DISPOSED SPINDLE EXTENDING AS A SUPPORT INTO SAID VALVE MEMBER AXIAL BORE, AND A RESILIENT COMPRESSIBLE MEMBER CARRIED ON SAID SPINDLE RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID VALVE MEMBER IN CLOSED POSITION WITH SAID VALVE AGAINST SAID REAR WALL OPENING AND SAID BUTTON FULLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDED. 